The effects of ethanol treatment on the metabolism, shelf life and quality of stored tomatoes at different maturities and temperatures

Two maturity stages of commercially grown tomatoes (breaker and mature green) were exposed to ethanol vapour (2 ml ethanol kg(-1) fruit) for 6 h at 20 degrees C prior to storage at 5 degrees C and 20 degrees C. During storage the colour, firmness and composition changes were examined every 3 and 7 days. The results showed that ethanol vapour treatment could significantly slow down the colour changes and softening of both mature green and breaker tomatoes with greater effects when stored at 5 degrees C. There was no difference between the two maturity stages in retardation of softening during storage; in contrast the maturity stage had a highly significant effect in the colour development of stored tomatoes. When the fruit stored at 5 degrees C was then held at 20 degrees C for 7 days the ripening process was accelerated but the fruit did not reach the same level of colour development as the fruit stored at 20 degrees C continuously. The results suggest that ethanol vapour pretreatment could be used as a cheap and easy method to extend the storage life of tomatoes. (C) 1999 Society of Chemical Industry.